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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. degree — temperature
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. firm — decided
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a line
  14. bore — to tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — for catching
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mug — a face
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com